Chicago Girl Stabbed to Death on Walk With Sister as Mum Says 'She Wasn't Bothering Anyone'

A seven-year-old girl was stabbed to death on a quiet Saturday morning walk with her sister in Chicago, as her mother insisted she 'wasn't bothering anyone'. The child, identified by relatives as Eddimar Paola Hernandez, was knifed multiple times in the back in the city's Chatham neighbourhood and later died at Comer Children's Hospital, police said.

Chicago police have identified 48-year-old Shavon Gayden as the woman charged with first-degree murder.

Eddimar's mother, Estefany Hernandez, later demanded justice, saying in Spanish that her daughter 'wasn't bothering anyone'. Investigators have not released a motive or said whether there was any relationship between Gayden and the child.

Bystanders Detain Suspect After Chatham Stabbing

Eddimar was walking with her older sister on Saturday morning when, according to police, a woman carrying an unspecified sharp object approached the child. A security image from a nearby business showed the girl walking hand in hand with an older female shortly before the attack.

Police said Eddimar was stabbed several times in the back before being taken to Comer Children's Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Security footage cited by WLS showed bystanders rushing towards Gayden and helping to restrain her until police arrived. The Chicago Police Department later announced that Gayden had been charged with one felony count of first-degree murder.

Alderwoman Michelle Harris of Chicago's 8th Ward said at a community vigil on Sunday that Gayden had allegedly been involved in an altercation with staff at a nearby wireless store before the fatal stabbing. Police have not said whether the reported altercation was connected to the attack.

'You send your baby out. It's a beautiful Saturday morning, and then, they don't come back home,' Harris said.

No Motive Released as Murder Case Moves Forward

Gayden had initially been scheduled to appear in court on Monday, 5 October, but was hospitalised and did not attend, according to the Cook County State's Attorney's Office. Her injuries were described as non-life-threatening.

Matthew Hendrickson, press secretary for the Cook County Public Defender, said the office had been assigned to represent Gayden at a Monday hearing but declined to comment further. The supplied reporting says Gayden is expected to appear in court on Wednesday, 7 October.

Investigators have not publicly identified a motive for the killing. It was also not immediately clear whether Gayden and Eddimar knew each other before the stabbing.

Those unanswered questions remain as the criminal case begins. Gayden has been charged, but the charge is an allegation and the case has not yet been resolved in court.

Eddimar's Family Calls for Justice

At Sunday's community vigil, Eddimar's relatives remembered her as a bright child who loved drawing, playing with her siblings and waiting by the window for her parents to return from work. Her stepfather, Pedro Izqueirdo, said in Spanish that 'she was happy' and 'had dreams, to be big'.

Hernandez said her daughter's death should not be allowed to pass without justice. 'My daughter's death should not be left like this,' she said in Spanish. 'There must be justice for my little girl. She wasn't bothering anyone.'

The family's grief was also reflected in a GoFundMe post created to help with funeral expenses. Eddimar's uncle, Richard Hernandez Chacon, wrote that her 'passing leaves an indescribable void and profound grief in all of us who loved her'.

For Eddimar's family, the criminal proceedings now sit alongside the more immediate loss of a seven-year-old they remembered for her drawings, her siblings and the everyday ritual of waiting for her parents to come home.

Gayden remains charged with first-degree murder and is expected to appear in court on Wednesday, 7 October. Police have not announced a motive for the killing.